Conventional attempts to use light emitting diode (LED) technology for small, “pocket-sized” or personal projection devices have relied on optical engine technologies that were developed for conventional arc lamp and color wheel illumination systems for single-panel digital micromirror devices (DMDs). However, the optical engine technologies that were developed for conventional arc lamp and color wheel illumination systems for single-panel digital micromirror devices (DMDs) are not optimized for form, size, function, or performance when using light emitting diode (LED) sources. For example, one major way that light emitting diode (LED) sources differ from arc lamps is that, though the emission area of a light emitting diode (LED) source is small, the light emitting diode (LED) sources emit into a very large angular space. This requires very different collection and relay optics for optimum size and efficiency from the conventional collection and relay optics used in arc lamp systems.